DYFL?: Fun Fact Of The Day
dyfl:
Adele’s “Someone Like You” was co-written by the guy from Semisonic.
Not sure how I missed that until now…
How did I miss that? How did I miss all the coverage of the Minnesota connection? (The Strib published a couple of stories… but for some reason the Current never talks about it, which makes no sense, or maybe I just miss it, every time.*)
But, then, we also all more or less ignored the fact that Young Adult not only takes place in Minnesota but also doesn’t even have those accents y’all have complain about in the movies and actually pretty accurately portrays Minnesota in the early millennium!
Anyway, we’re quite centered on having our own Minnesota-centric culture, so when something Minnesotan is huge and national there’s a little bit of cognitive dissonance. That’s a working theory, anyway.
Or maybe I just thought I was paying attention and missed it all.
*Apropos of nothing except my recent annoyance: No one makes me want to troll the way John Munson does.
Is there a good guide to MN Etsy shops? What are some MN Etsy shops you like?
Not stuff that’s dripping with Minnesota twee, just good stuff that I’d actually want to buy another person.
Beyond DIY to Do-It-Together
So I fundamentally disagree with much of this essay! But it is well-written and outlines a lot of assumptions about the Twin Cities art scene, and it’s also a good introduction for outsiders about how people think art works here, and I think you should read it. I’d like to know what you think. It speaks to a lot of conversations I’ve been having lately, and I’d like to continue having them, so your thoughts are welcome.
And thanks for putting this out there, Regan.
(For a primer on my opinions about this, go here.)
Supporting Local Businesses Means Supporting Your Local Internet
The terms “community” and “neighborhoods” can be kinda funny. Sometimes community-run media gives people jobs and/or training that can be used to enhance the local understand of how media is made.
And sometimes those terms are employed by outlets that are designed to profit from media trends like hyperlocalism. When the money from the community’s output doesn’t go back into the community, it provides little benefit to the actual community. (And if you want to volunteer, local organizations need your talents more than a for-profit based in New York.)
If Minneapolis and St. Paul didn’t already have outstanding community media resources and amazing local Tumblrs, I would have no problem with new companies trying to build that community spirit. But as it stands there are plenty of local places that provide paying jobs (or that are at least attempting it) to those who curate and write news about the Twin Cities; please support them by reading them, by linking them, by supporting their advertisers and sponsors. Here are some:
- Twin Cities Daily Planet
- Minnesota Public Radio
- MinnPost
- Secrets of the City
- Heavy Table
- METRO online
- Minneapolis-St. Paul magazine
- Minnesota Monthly
- And I’d be an idiot if I didn’t mention Twin Cities Runoff
There are more, so please add to the list. As for one-stop Twin Cities Tumblrs, I’m sure another one of you can provide a list of those, if you don’t already know where to find them.
And then there’s also varied and sundry Patches, as well as several other non-locally based community-oriented sites, which I’m not always a huge supporter of, but at least they pay their writers and editors.
Also, not that the economics of liquor production are anything like the economics of media production (whole ‘nother can o’ worms!), but there is a very nice gin that comes out of Wisconsin called Death’s Door. There’s some free advertising.
Here are some novels about the Midwest.
I’m curious about this list (saw it as an ad on TMN), so if you have any opinions on any of these novels, let me know. I’ve never even heard of most of these authors, but Minnesota is represented pretty heavily and I’d probably read all of these books.
(It’s like Minnesota Appreciation Day on Sundays on the Internet. We are so smug that we devote one day a week to appreciating Minnesota. New Yorkers devote two to three days per week to appreciating New York, but that is flat out arrogant. In Portland it’s more like 36 hours of weekly self-appreciation, which is just enough for us Twin Citizens to keep feeling inadequate in our smugness.)
Who pulled the plug on University of Minnesota's "Troubled Waters?"
According to University News Service director Daniel Wolter, the Bell Museum, which is part of the College of Food, Agricultural, and Natural Resource Sciences, is responsible for halting the release. “It was determined by the Bell Museum director and producer of the production,” he says. “We are an academic and science-based institution, and we want to ensure a production like this is scientifically sound.”
However, the film’s director, Larkin McPhee, said she never delayed the release or called for a scientific review. “I do not understand why the University postponed the film’s broadcast,” she said via email. “I am, along with many others, awaiting explanation from the U.”Good question! (I have a couple of theories…)
For those who don’t know, Shanai Matteson (my wife!) was the Assistant Producer for “Troubled Waters”, a science-based documentary about the environmental impact of agriculture up and down the Mississippi. The film was set to premiere on October 5th (and air on TPT), but somebody at the University pulled the plug at the last minute.
There are some SERIOUS issues of corporate interests rubbing up against (and influencing) sound science and academic freedom here. Please pass Molly’s article around!
Hopefully we can get to the bottom of this soon.
Important important important.
"Just to be clear, the Target CEO's commitment to gay equality includes hiring, into one of its highest positions, the former chief of staff for a politician who supported a constitutional amendment banning gay equality as well as a law banning gay adoption."
Abe Sauer’s dissection of Target’s anti-LGBT support at the Awl is still important. (Why aren’t local outlets picking up on it?) (I mean I know why.)
No, really, don’t go to Target. It probably won’t help any of this situation because Minnesotans freak out because they “don’t know where else to shop” and New Yorkers are all OMG CHEAP CLOTHES (no. no. no.), but just please don’t go to Target.
Why I moved to “fly over land”
(via movingtompls and freshmn)
Often I’m asked to articulate why I love it here and don’t feel like moving back east, and this is a reason that has always been on the tip of my tongue but I’ve never articulated it quite this way. When you grow up in a place that has very little positive identity other than that it’s near four major cities, the independence of the Twin Cities shines remarkably bright.
St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman Boycotts Publicly Funded Travel to Arizona
because he is pretty amazing.
